Over the last two months a significant amount of media coverage on Japan’s security policy evolution has dominated the online sphere. Concerns have been raised about Japan having “offensive aircraft carriers,” developing amphibious capabilities, planning to acquire preemptive strike capabilities, and engaging in debate about Japan exercising its right to collective self-defense. To be sure...

This the first post on Dawn Blitz; I’ll do a second at the conclusion of the exercises, or if something really interesting comes up. – KM I made a conscious decision to not attend Dawn Blitz 2013. I’ve covered a U.S. – Japanese exercise at Camp Pendleton before, and I had been frustrated by the...

Japan has announced a series of initiatives to bolster the Self Defense Forces’ ability to respond to new and potential threats. The initiatives span from cyber to amphibious warfare and fill gaps in existing capability. TV Asahi has broken the news that the Self Defense Forces plan on buying four U.S.-made AAV-7 amphibious assault vehicles...

The Center for Strategic and International Studies has a new report out on the so-called American pivot to the Pacific, and aligning U.S. forces to support the pivot. It’s an interesting read, and spells out several strategic options for U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM), including options that increase or decrease air, land, and sea power. (PDF here.)...

I have a strong interest in the U.S. Marine Corps Okinawa basing issue. I don’t post on it very often, mostly because what passes for news usually isn’t. It’s been clear since Hatoyama’s resignation that, barring somebody running out of money, the 2006 agreement is going forward and 8,000 of the roughly 18,000 U.S. Marines based on...

The National Defense Program Guidelines are out in English (click image to enlarge; here for the PDF), reflecting desirable force levels for the 2011-2015 period. Highlights include: - An increase in the submarine fleet from 16 to 22, likely due to the retention of older submarines (Japan tends to retire submarines when they reach...

C. W. Nicol: I propose that Japan build ships of around 30,000 gross tons (slightly bigger than the Asuka). This size would be effective, quick to respond, reasonably maneuverable and not as demanding on fuel as the 200,000-ton-plus cruise ship monsters.

JS Ise, the second and last of the Hyuga-class helicopter destroyers, has officially joined the fleet. Ise was commissioned into the Maritime Self Defense Forces on March 16th, 2011, five days after the Tohoku Earthquake. Ise was built by IHI at the Yokohama Shipyard and launched in August 2009. At 18,000 tons fully loaded, Hyuga...

The Chosun Ilbo reported today that the South Korean military has been put on alert in response to increased submarine drills by the North: From: N.Korea Steps Up Submarine Drills “The North has been staging drills by mobilizing five or six subs including new Shark-class ones from naval bases on the east and west coasts,”...